Blog Rolls

Pentagon officials say starting on Jan. 1, 2018, transgender people can enlist in the U.S. military. President Trump has opposed allowing transgender people to serve, but the Pentagon decision comes as courts are ruling against efforts to bar transgender enlistment.

Autonomous weapons, capable of operating independent of human control, are being developed by several countries around the world. NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with Paul Scharre of the Center for a New American Security about this new military technology and the challenges of regulating it.

Millions of public comments in advance of the FCC's vote on net neutrality turn out to have been faked. Some used phony names, others came from Russian email addresses. The FCC says it will go ahead with its vote this week nonetheless.

Celebrity chef Mario Batali has stepped down from daily operations at his restaurant company after allegations of sexual misconduct. NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Amanda Kludt, Editor-in-Chief of the online publication Eater, which broke the story.

Police are calling an explosion in a crowded corridor between two New York City subway stations Monday morning an attempted terror attack. Officials say suspect Akayed Ullah detonated an improvised pipe bomb that was strapped to his body.

One of the most contested and high-profile special Senate elections of recent times is drawing to a close in Alabama. A day before voting begins, a look at where Republican Roy Moore stands against Democrat Doug Jones.

Last week, Pope Francis weighed in on how the line "lead us not into temptation" in the Lord's Prayer might be improved. NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Rev. James Martin, editor-at-large of America Magazine, about the translation changes Pope Francis has proposed.

It's believed that 80 percent of people addicted to heroin today started with prescription painkillers. The over-prescription of opioids in the U.S. has been well documented. NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about how the Department of Justice is ramping up prosecutions of medical providers who abuse their prescribing authority when it comes to opioids.

The Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse was rare in its long, uninterrupted path over land, which provided scientists with a rare chance to investigate the Sun and its influence on Earth in ways that aren’t usually possible. On Dec. 11, researchers discussed initial findings based on observations gathered during the eclipse.